Friday, September 26, 2003

While the critiics have widely given Coupling an "F", I was amused by its exposure of the widespread shallowness of Americans. It actually seemed like the anti-Dawson's Creek. The Creek had young people talking in terms well beyond the average for their age; that was one of the show's most appealing aspects. It did seem unreal when cast against the language of average people the age of the Dawson's crowd. Coupling travels away from the deep angst of the Creek to the selfish level of most people. The undercurrents or subcontexts were obvious. Coupling is a Sienfeld type of directionless, plotless show where the real purpose is to expose the unfeeling nature of people. Sienfeld really is about four people divorced from their fellow humans and unable to recognize it. This is clearly recognized in the final episode where sitting in the jail celll the four of them just do not get it. Their part in humanity is just invisible to them. Coupling is about the same, except sexual encounters are the whole purpose of life. The goal is to point out that the gang on Coupling is no different from the body- and self-obsessed people of America and television.

Thursday, September 04, 2003

The real cost of this whole process of removing Christianity from our public life could be an increasing withdrawl of the Christian community from the American community. In this I look not just to the more active Christian crowd, but the larger silent Christian community.

In larger perspective, the removal of the monument in Alabama is just one tiny piece of a gigantic attack on anything of Western Civilization. As the public culture of the United States separates itself more and more from its past and its roots, what remains may not be something that any one wants to support. We are already viewed by many as a nation of lost sheep. To further cut away our underpinning will only leave Americans looking for more support. Those attacking the roots of our nation may find that they have removed all elements of our past to find that nothing good is there to replace them.

A nation of tolerance is a worthy goal, but can America take tolerating everything at the expense of diminishing what is of value to a majority of its people?